Beauty in Love
by KibaElunal
Summary: A compilation of various romantic one-shots, both canon and not, from the ABAHF universe. These, for the most part, focus on odd ships that do not normally occur in the stories themselves, but were too cute not to give them at least something. Feel free to submit your own ships for my characters, but it won't be a guarantee they'll appear. They will certainly be considered though.
1. Caitlyn X Kiba

Beauty in Love: Caitlyn and Kiba

 **Author's Note: Hey everyone, I know, I know...another new series? Yes, but this is more like A Boy and His Fux and Lusty Ionian Butler. And by like, I mean absolutely the opposite of it. These are all one shot romances, some canon, some not. Most of them will be between different ships that people have made between characters and OC's from my stories, even if they aren't official. That being said, by all means send me suggestions. I can't necessarily promise it'll show up, but they'll certainly be taken into consideration. Since they are one-shots, these will be much longer.**

My fingers drummed nervously on the table as my eyes once more glanced to the door. Where was he? He had promised that he'd show up around this time. Holding my watch up to confirm my suspicions, I lowered it just as he entered the door, looking fervently around the restaurant.

When our eyes met, he smiled at me, waving politely and quickly sliding into the booth opposite me. "Hello Sheriff, sorry I'm late." He apologized, scratching the back of his head as he always did when he was embarrassed. It was cute, really.

"It's impolite to keep me waiting on a meeting you called." I pointed out, knowing that he could already read me like a book. It was one of the things that made our talks so interesting. Not even Vi or Thane could see through me the way that Kiba did. "Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about. I know you didn't ask me all the way out here to just pretend we're on some sort of date."

"N-no! Of course, not." He stammered again, his cheeks turning a bright red. "I'm working on a story and I was hoping to get some information from you." I smiled at him, though inside I almost partially wished this had been unrelated to work. The two of us had known each other for a long time now, and yet as close as we were, we never really spent time together outside of our careers.

I sipped the tea from my cup, setting it politely onto my saucer. "You should know by now that's not how this works." I reminded him, our eyes meeting. "What's the saying that you use often? Quid pro quo?"

He visibly sank, pausing to signal to the waitress for a glass of water. So he was out of information? No surprise there, he'd called in his favors not even a week ago on a previous story. Whatever he was working on now must have really stumped him. "It's umm...not that sort of information." He tried nervously, his hand trembling as he reached for the glass of water.

"Oh? What sort of information are you looking for pray-tell?"

Once again the blush returned to his cheeks. What was it that had him so flustered? "So...hypothetically speaking, if you were to return to your work in the League, what would you hope for with a summoner? I'm doing a story based on a romance between a champion and her summoner."

"Kal and Ahri, correct?"

It seemed that I hit the nail on its proverbial head. "Yeah." My silence seemed to make him nervous as he quickly added, "I asked their permission, of course! I'd never print something without it." He'd have continued rambling on about journalistic integrity had I not held up my hand to stop him.

"So, you wish for me to tell you what sort of things interest me in a romantic partner?"

He quietly nodded his head. I could tell that he was uncomfortable about the prospect, but it did cause an idea to come to mind. He must have seen the gears turning in my head because his expression immediately intensified. "You're plotting something. What are you thinking?"

"Well, I tell you what. I don't value that information so highly, so I'll still make a trade with you even if it's information that isn't too important."

"Go on."

"If you show me how you'd treat a lady on a real romantic outing, I'll tell you what sort of man it is I'm attracted to. Do we have an agreement?"

He seemed perplexed by my offer, as if he couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to know such a thing about him. "Why?" He asked, confirming my suspicion.

I simply shrugged. "You clearly need the information, and I don't intend on giving you any freebees." I applauded myself on my quick thinking. This would be the best way, I felt, to open his eyes without putting myself on the line. If he didn't have any feelings, I'd have to move on, simple as that, but if he did...well, who knew where we could go from there. "So?" I urged him.

"Deal." He nodded, reaching out to shake my hand. The irony of the gesture struck me enough to bring a smile to my lips as I reached for his. What I wasn't expecting, however, was when he brought it towards himself and kissed the back of my hand. "Lesson one, Sheriff. Chivalry is never dead, so long as I am still around."

Now I was the one who was flustered. "It may not be dead, but I still suspect that it is badly beaten in an intensive care unit." I teased, causing him to signal the waitress once more. "So when shall we schedule this 'date'?"

"Tonight." He replied. I quirked an eyebrow at his forwardness. "We're both already out and ready, we may as well make the most of our time."

"You could at least let me change out of my uniform." I grumbled, but he just flashed me that same silly grin.

"I hardly think that your 'uniform' could be classified as such."

I scoffed. "I will have you know that this is indeed an efficient uniform!"

"Efficient, yes. Modest, not so much." He teased, causing me to fold my arms over my chest. "No need to be sour. Between you and me, I think you are absolutely stunning in your uniform. I'm sure many of your victims...I mean suspects, agree."

I giggled to myself, sipping my tea again. "You're such an ass."

"So unlady-like." He declared dramatically, just as the waitress took our order. He truly was a most interesting individual. "So then, milady, where would you like to go after we've had our dinner?"

"Oh no." I lectured. "You're not pulling that trick on me. This is how _you_ would treat a woman on a date. If I tell you what I want, you get your information and thus have no more obligation to treat me. I'm afraid you'll be the one deciding everything tonight."

He placed his hand over his mouth. "You insult me, madam. How could you think me so crass?"

"Because I know you all too well."

"Not well enough, it would seem." He shot back. "For your information, my intention is always to please the lady, which is why I asked. You should have more faith in me, Sheriff…"

"Caitlyn." I reminded him. "It's impolite to refer to me by my title while we're on a date."

"But of course, my apologies. Well, _Caitlyn_ , I suppose we should start with a movie first, once we're through with dinner."

"Dinner and a movie? How cliche!"

"They are cliches for a reason." He argued. "But I did say, _first_. You had better prepare yourself Caitlyn, for tonight is the night a man finally sweeps you off your feet."

"Confident, I see. Very well, I suppose I'll play along. Just don't forget that you and I both have work tomorrow. I can't be out all night."

Our meal was shared in silence, for the most part. Sure we talked, but it wasn't anything serious. Truthfully, it was a nice change of pace from our normal professional banter. We talked about the cases we'd both worked, the sort of movies we watched, the music we listened to. We had much more in common than I'd thought we would.

He was an investigator, just like myself, but his life, other than that, was one that was entirely normal. Divorced parents, went to school, became a writer, studied education, if you could believe that.

"So you wanted to be a teacher." I chuckled. "I didn't take you for the child caring type."

He nodded his head. "You could say that. To be honest, it's not that I care particularly for children or anything like that. I wanted to leave my mark on the world. At the time, I thought if I could change one child's life, maybe they'd change someone else's and then as time went on I'd make a larger impact on the world. But I also discovered that I loved writing, almost more than I even liked teaching. When I write...it's like...like…"

I smiled. "Like you can tell that others look to you to make a difference. It's no longer an aspiration, but an expectation." He seemed surprised by my words. "We're really not so different, Kiba. I feel the same way about my job. Being Sheriff of Piltover, at first it started out as catching the bad guys, making the streets safer for people like my father, but then it became about something more. It wasn't just a job any more, it was a lifestyle."

The two of us shared a smile as we finished our meal. Just as I reached for the check, he immediately swatted my hand away. "No, no. You know the rules. Chivalry. I'm paying for everything."

"Very gentlemanly of you. I'm amazed you're going all out on this."

"I've always like the saying 'if you're going to do something, do it right.' I don't half-ass things, Caitlyn."

Standing from the table, the two of us walked out into the warm summer air. To my surprise, there was a carriage drawn by a mechanized horse. I looked at him stunned, there was no way he could have planned this. "How did…but when…" He just beamed at me, opening the door to the carriage before offering his hand to help me inside. Even Thane had never done anything like this before, for Vi or otherwise. "I've never ridden in one of these before." I admitted shyly, taking his hand and stepping into the cabin.

This had gone a lot farther than I expected. In the restaurant, while it felt natural, there was still an awkward rigidity to it, as if we were simply pretending we were on a date, but this went above and beyond that. I quickly shook my head, steeling myself once again. I couldn't let him win me over so easily. So he'd managed to surprise me, that didn't mean he could continue to do so. "Please state destination." A mechanized voice requested from the front as Kiba closed the door behind him, sitting beside me so that our legs were touching.

"The movie theatre on Spanner please." He replied, before turning to me. "Sorry about our legs. It's hard for me to ride in these things without touching someone else." My cheeks turned a bright red. I'd hoped he hadn't noticed.

"It's alright." I murmured back. "But, I'm confused...there's no movie theatre on Spanner."

He grinned smugly. "That's what you think."

As the cart took off, I felt my hat tumbling from my head, causing me to quickly turn to catch it. However, just as the brim rolled off my fingertips and I was concerned it was gone forever, he managed to snag it from the air with his much longer arms. Drawing it back to us, he smiled at me, offering it back. "Th-thank you." I whispered, my unusual shy side starting to peer through my rough exterior.

"Not a problem." He answered, his hand brushing against mine as I took it from him and placed it in my lap. "It must be very important to you."

"How did you know that?"

"I'm not investigating into your private life, if that's what you're asking. I just noticed that I've almost never seen you without it."

"Oh...right." I hadn't even thought about if people had ever noticed it before. I suppose others thought it was some sort of symbol, even if I'd never intended it to be so. "It was a gift from my mother when I first took the job. It's fit with all sorts of scopes and lenses to help with my investigation."

"What is she like?" He wondered.

I curled my hands politely on top of my hat. "Well, that's an interesting question. My mother didn't want me to take the job originally. When my father was robbed, and I intended to get revenge on the man who robbed him, I was so angry that I grabbed my father's rifle and I intended to bring him in dead or alive. She told me not to go, as did my father, it wasn't worth it and they didn't want me getting hurt." I was surprised when I noticed him looking at me intently, listening eagerly to what I had to say. Was it my imagination, or was he actually becoming invested in our interaction? "Well, long story short," I continued, "I managed to find him. With my barrel jabbed in his back, I marched him down to the police station at the age of fourteen. Imagine his embarrassment! He was able to evade police for years, only to be captured by a young girl with a rifle."

"A young girl with a rifle _and_ a brilliant mind." Kiba corrected me. Now I knew I was blushing as the wind ran through my dark raven hair. "It can't be denied that since you took office, the streets of Piltover have been much safer. But anyway, I'm sorry to have interrupted. Please continue."

"It's alright." I quickly forgave him, before kicking myself for my missed opportunity to knock him down a peg. "Anyway, I was offered an 'honorary badge' by the city. Of course it was just a weak little plastic thing. One of the ones they'd give out to school children when they did PR visits. Even still, I used it as grounds to continue investigating and solving crimes until they gave me the job I still have today." I fell slightly quiet. "The day I took the job, my parents and I got into a huge argument. They didn't like that I'd been investigating in secret without their permission. It went on for nearly two weeks, during which time I was so distracted I couldn't solve anything. They noticed, and immediately, they decided that if they couldn't stop me from investigating that they'd support me instead. My mother designed this hat and the lenses and my father designed my original rifle. 'The Piltover Peacemaker' as he called it. Admittedly, my rifle now isn't the same one as the one he gave me, but I kept the name to honor it."

"Ah, right. I remember, that was about the time you dyed your hair black as well." Before I could even form the question he raised his hands in surrender. "I have a good memory; it's not as creepy as it seems, I swear."

His quick response made me chuckle. "I'm just surprised anyone noticed."

"If it helps, I think it looks rather nice on you."

"Well of course you'd say that, you're trying to make me happy." I pointed out, but he just shook his head.

"No really, I mean it. It makes you look more...sophisticated. You may not need it, of course, you look very sophisticated as it is with your ' _uniform_ '," he teased, putting air quotes around the word, "but even still, I swear I'd never lie to you Caitlyn."

"Oh really?" I asked, leaning closer to him so our faces were close to one another's. My hand slid to rest upon his as I stared into his eyes with a smirk. "Then why won't you tell me where this carriage came from?"

"Not telling you isn't the same thing as lying." He retorted.

"I think they call that a lie of omission. You know it's a major crime to lie to an officer of the law, even one that's a lie of omission." My voice was barely a whisper now as we inched ever closer to one another.

"Then I guess you'd better put me under arrest." Kiba purred.

Right as I was about to deliver a witty comeback, the carriage came to a halt, causing him to bashfully straighten up from me. As I did the same, returning the hat to my head, I looked around myself to see that the movie theatre he was referring to looked very old. Even one of the doors was boarded up as he stepped out of the coach to help me down. " _This_ is the movie theatre you brought me to?" I quizzed.

He looked at me in surprise. "Why Caitlyn, do you not know your history? This isn't your typical, run of the mill, movie theatre. _This_ ," he gestured with a wave of his arms, "is the oldest movie theatre in all of Valoran! It was the very first one of its kind. Over a hundred years ago, people from all over flocked here in order to catch a glimpse of the magical moving pictures of Piltover." As he gave his explanation, I had to cover my mouth so he wouldn't see me laughing. He truly would have made an excellent teacher the way he carried on about the theatre's history. "Hey, pay attention." He lectured, causing me to burst out laughing again. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing." I quickly replied, wiping a tear from my eye. "You just seem like such an old man, despite that you're younger than me."

"I take that as a compliment." He said, playfully sticking out his tongue. "That just means you secretly realize I'm more mature than you."

"Says the one who called me out here for a history lesson." I protested. "And shouldn't this thing be heading back to...wherever?" I jerked a thumb over my shoulder at the carriage.

"It's not magical Caitlyn, it can't just disappear. It'll wait here for us to be finished, then it will take us to our next date location. And no, this isn't just a history lesson, we'll actually see a movie. But not just any movie. We're going to watch _Untouchable_."

My eyes narrowed as I folded my arms over my chest. "Seriously?"

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me! How in the Hells did you manage to somehow swing a showing of my favorite movie in some big fancy antique theatre…"

"In original 8mm." He interjected.

"Yes, that as well. I have been with you the whole time, there is no way you could have set this up in advance!"

He smirked. "Ever think maybe you're not the only genius here?"

He was beginning to make me flustered which, while cute, was beginning to become very irritating. Seeming to sense this, he just gestured for me to follow him. Opening the door, he led me into the grand glimmering golden foyer that looked as if it hadn't been stepped foot in since it was originally built. "Welcome." A group of ushers called to us, all with cheery smiles on their faces.

The manager came from the back, his eyes lighting up when he saw my date. "Ah, Kiba! Welcome, welcome. It's such a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure's all mine Frank." He assured him, shaking his hand excitedly. "I really appreciate all of this. I see that you refuse to let this old ship go down."

"And waste all your hard work keeping it in my family? Not a chance!" He laughed before turning to look at me. "Do you know who this man is? This man here is a saint."

"Frank here is the great great grandson of the original owner of the theatre." I explained. "A year or so back, the city threatened to shut this place down because they didn't feel it fit well with the 'current design' they wanted. I managed to pull some strings and get a judge to declare it a historical landmark, meaning that not only did Frank get to keep the theatre, now it'll be here for his kids, assuming he ever gets married!" The two of them laughed together as I stared in awe at the large room, until I came to a realization.

"So that's how you're doing it!" I declared with excitement. "You're calling in favors to try to impress me! I bet you knew someone at the carriage warehouse too that owes you a favor, so you probably called them from the bathroom or something at the restaurant to set this up!"

"Great theory, Sherlock. But you're forgetting one thing: I've been with you the entire time. How could I possibly have called them if I've never left to go to the bathroom or anything?" The color drained from my face as the pieces that had fallen into place began to shatter apart again.

"So help me, I will figure this out." I assured him, jabbing my finger in his face as he sympathetically pat my back.

"Of course you will, Caitlyn."

"Don't patronize me." I argued, before I realized that we were standing in front of a group of people and clearing my throat. "Sorry," I apologized bashfully, "so I believe you have a movie set up for us?"

"Yep. I'm afraid our popcorn machine is broken, but our Soda Jerks are functional and for any date of Kiba's completely on the house!" The two of them shared a grin that sent a shiver up my spine. It was like they'd co-ordinated this entire thing behind my back, and they knew it too! Gods, it was so frustrating, but at the same time so incredibly sweet. "So, milady, what will it be?"

I paused for a moment, scratching my head. "Well...uhh...I've never really drank soda before." I muttered in embarrassment. Both men were completely stunned by my announcement. "What? Is it really that shocking?"

"I mean, I expect you to have never had a _classic_ soda, but not having one at all? So you've never had any sort of cola or anything?"

I shook my head. "It's just really sugary and unhealthy." I murmured. "My parents never really bought it and I've never been curious enough to taste it…"

"Two Catawba Flips." Kiba stated signaling Frank to grab them, causing me to look at him in confusion. "Be sure to twist it, choke it, and make it cackle."

"Catawba Flips? Twisting, choking, and cackling? I'm so confused."

"A Catawba Flip is basically like a Grape Ice Cream Slush. When someone asks for a Soda Jerk to twist it, choke it, and make it cackle, it means that they need to add something else to it."

"What sort of something else?" I asked suspiciously.

"I'm not going to tell you until after you've tasted it." He replied, gesturing for me to follow one of the ushers. "They'll bring us our drinks in the theatre. You'll be happy to know that we are the only ones there."

I glared at him. "I'll admit this is impressive Mr. Elunal, but don't think for one moment that you'll be allowed to try any funny business just because the lights are down."

"Kiba." He reminded me. "Mr. Elunal is far too formal for a date. Besides, I have far more respect than that."

"For me?"

"For the theatre." He laughed before I punched him hard in the shoulder, only serving to make him laugh more. "Either way, I'm teasing Caitlyn. I do have a lot of respect for you. Truth be told, I'm actually excited to be able to go all out like this for you. I've often worried that you work far too hard, so I think it's good that you're letting your hair down."

"I do not work too hard!" I protested. "I always have my hair down. I'm actually a very laid back individual." That was a lie, I knew, but even still I would never admit such a thing to myself, much less to Kiba. Even still, I knew he probably saw right through it. I sometimes wondered why I even bothered trying to fool him.

As the lights dimmed, we both took our seats, and it wasn't long before the drinks arrived on either side of us. Sipping it, I was impressed by the odd mixture of flavors and textures. It was certainly grape and the seltzer felt rough on my throat. But in addition to the ice cream, there was something else in it that made it almost...fluffy. I wasn't entirely sure how to describe it. "Give up?" Kiba whispered to me as the almost thirty year old commercials ran through the screen.

"Fine. What is it?" I asked, taking another sip.

"A raw egg."

I began to cough, looking to him as if he was insane. "A raw egg? Really? Isn't that dangerous?"

"If the egg's bad maybe. But trust me, Frank is a professional. He'd never serve us something that could make us sick." He swore, causing me to grumble before drinking more of the soda. Despite my attempts at appearing irritable, I felt Kiba's hand run along my arm, his fingers weaving through mine to hold my hand as the movie started.

I smiled to myself, eagerly complying with the gesture. "How often do people watch movies here?" I wondered out loud.

"Not very." He admitted. "It's mostly for special occasions...like this one."

"That means that in order to get the raw eggs, Frank would have had to go buy them in advance. How did he know that he'd need them, I wonder?" Subconsciously, I leaned towards him, laying my head on his shoulder with my hat on my lap. Inside, I knew I'd caught him in his game.

"Frank knows how I like my soda." He explained. "Anytime I'm coming to the theatre he goes out and buys them fresh. But of course, he can't just buy one egg." I was surprised when his head rested back on mine. I felt warm inside, more so than I'd even felt with Thane. So this was what it was like to be taken on an actual date.

I decided not to push the issue further. Instead, I wanted to enjoy the movie as we sat like that, through the entire thing. Part of me found myself wishing this were real. I knew that Kiba had self-esteem problems, and despite that I wanted to, I found myself too embarrassed to offer him my help. It sounded stupid, I knew, but if I admitted to him how I felt, that would mean having to admit it to myself.

It seemed like no time at all before he nudged me gently. "Caitlyn." He whispered in my ear, causing a soft yet sleepy smile to cross my lips.

"Hmmm?" I groaned, not wishing to budge. I was surprised however, when I felt someone lift me into the air, causing my eyes to shoot open. "Kiba, what are you doing?" I asked confused.

"You fell asleep." He explained, slowly lowering me to my feet. "You didn't seem like you wanted to wake up, so I was going to carry you to the carriage outside and take you home to put you in bed." After another moment, he muttered a bashful, "Sorry."

"It's alright. I appreciate the gesture." I yawned, stretching my arms above my head, noticing that he looked away as I did so. The smile on my face grew bigger. So there was a way to pay him back for how flustered he was making me. "What's wrong, Kiba? Having trouble keeping your mind from wandering into the gutter?"

"Don't insult me." He uttered. "I'm a gentleman. I will have you know that there have been four separate occasions where I could have kissed you and wouldn't have been punched in the nose for it."

"Somehow, I doubt that greatly. I'd have punched you in the nose no matter what the circumstance was." I teased, stretching once more. This time, however, I noticed that there was a look of sadness on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Listen, Caitlyn. You're beautiful. Really, you are." He whispered to me, and immediately I could feel my heart beating fiercely. Was this the moment where he affirmed that there could be nothing between us? "But even still, I'm sorry for looking at you the way I did. It's not an excuse for me to behave that way. I just…"

My heart went out to him as I began to understand. "Kiba, you didn't think I was actually upset, did you?" He looked at me, and I could see the sorrow in his eyes. I couldn't just stand there and watch that. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He seemed taken aback, flinching as my grip tightened around him. "It's alright." I murmured in his ear. "I was only teasing you, I know you're a gentleman. I'm sorry if my teasing really upset you."

He shook his head. "No, it's just…" He took a breath. "Guys have a reputation of being perverts, you know? Everyone assumes we idolize the guys who go out and get one night stands every night. I've always hated those people. They're the reason everyone thinks that chivalry is dead, but what about the guys like me?" Was he trembling now? "It's like...we're supposed to be programmed to be these lust-addled sex machines, eager to pounce on the nearest willing woman like she's a piece of meat. But...I don't want that."

"Come on." I urged him, changing the subject quickly. "You still have something else to surprise me with on our date, right? I doubt that even you could get something prepared so quickly that it'd impress me more than this place."

Seemingly noticing my intention, he took a deep breath to collect himself before flashing me a smile. "Yeah? Well, prepare to be amazed Caitlyn, because I have saved the best for last."

"Lead the way." I instructed, wrapping my arm assuringly around his. I hadn't even thought about how he may consider this date. I chastised myself. I thought this was just some sort of game to him, despite the amount of effort he was obviously putting into it. I still wasn't sure if he felt the same way that I did, but either way, I had no intention of making him feel like I wasn't taking this seriously.

Soon, we were in the carriage again, rumbling through the streets of Piltover. The mechanized horses let out echoing 'clops' as their hooves pounded on the cobblestone road. "Please state destination." It chirped, causing me to look at him expectantly.

"The Ice Dome." He stated. Another place I'd never been to? I was beginning to suspect that he had perhaps done research on me. As the carriage suddenly veered to the side, I found myself toppling over on top of him, my hat once more tumbling towards the exit before he snagged it and returned it to me. "You alright? Sometimes this thing makes really sharp turns. Sorry."

"I'm fine." I muttered. straightening my skirt as I sat up again, staring ahead at the dome-shaped structure that peered out over the skyline. "At least I've heard of this place. It's a hockey rink, right? Are you taking me to see a hockey game?"

"Better." He chuckled. "I'm taking you skating. I hope you're pretty coordinated."

A flush of humiliation rolled over me as I realized the likely outcome of events. I'd never been skating before, something I'm sure he was banking on. He'd hold my hands, while my knees wobbled awkwardly and my heart pounded in my chest.

I'd start to lose my balance and topple forward, his arms outstretched to catch me , thus causing me to press against him as I scrambled to keep my footing, only for us to stare longingly into one another's eyes. Oh it was a clever gambit, to be sure, but I had no intention of being tricked into it like some doe-eyed girl next door. He'd flustered me enough already, he wouldn't be doing it again.

As I contemplated my plan, a small gleam caught my eye from my peripheral vision. Turning towards him, I saw him quickly tuck his far hand from my view. "What was that?" I asked.

"What was what?" He repeated, looking around himself. "The chimichanga stand? Don't tell me you don't know what a chimichanga is."

"Of course I know what a chimichanga is, I meant what was that in your hand!" I snapped at him, causing him to raise his hand, showing it was empty. "I know I saw something. There was a gleam."

He turned his hand to reveal a metallic ring. "Maybe you caught a glimpse of this?" He suggested. "It can reflect a lot of light sometimes."

"Why the heck are you wearing a ring on your left hand?" I pressed. "That's something only married couples do."

"Says who?"

"Says everyone! I think you're wearing that ring to hide what you're really up to."

"I'm really not up to anything." He laughed, as I reached for the far side of him.

"Show it to me!"

"I don't have anything, I swear!"

"Liar, what's in your pocket?"

"Nothing, honest!"

"Lying is a federal crime!"

"Then arrest me!"

I glared and pounced on him, the two of us wrestling before I managed to get his arms behind him and handcuffed them together. He put up a good struggle, but I'd taken down guys much stronger than him. "Now we'll see what you're really up to." I laughed triumphantly, slipping my hand into his pocket to feel around.

"This is by far the kinkiest encounter with a woman I've ever had." He muttered, causing me to immediately pull my hand away. "Satisfied? Now if you could please uncuff me, I'd like to have free use of my limbs."

I frowned. I _knew_ he was hiding something now. "Not until you tell me what you had."

"A magic wand. Now will you let me go?"

"Shut up." I retorted, turning him around so his back was to me. "Where is it?"

"It's a magic wand. It disappears." He replied, just before I realized that he was sitting on something.

I grinned. "I found your 'magic wand'." I gloated, reaching for the object, causing him to squirm as I reached for it. As my hand brushed against his butt, he quickly moved, allowing me to snatch his phone from him. "So this is how you've been doing it!"

"You haven't seen me on my phone all night. I couldn't have called anyone."

Turning it on, I realized that his phone required a fingerprint to unlock. "Unlock it." I instructed him.

"No." He protested. "You handcuffed me. You know, most guys would use this as an excuse to end the date. You're lucky I'm so forgiving."

I leaned closer to him to whisper into his ear. "Don't pretend you're not enjoying it."

"I'm honestly not. Seriously, these cuffs are not of fuzzy variety. I can feel them cutting into my wrist, so please? The jokes kind of run its course." Suddenly the phone buzzed in my hand, showing a text message from someone.

"Everything is set for the girl?" I asked, reading it aloud. "Ha! You've been caught red handed."

"Who said 'the girl' is you?" He protested.

I fished into my pocket for my handcuff key, unlocking them and letting him loose. He pulled his hands in front of him rubbing his wrists as he stared daggers at me. "Now will you unlock the phone?" I asked, holding it up for him.

"Let me answer your question with another question. Would finding out that I'd actually managed to plan everything we've done tonight on the fly by calling in half a dozen favors really make it worth it, or would it ruin the mystery and magic of it all by shattering the possibility that maybe, just maybe, all of this is spontaneous and that fate has set this all up just to make you happy?" The two of us fell quiet, as I looked down at the phone in my hand then back to him.

"Oh, just tell me!" I whined. "Ugh, I can't stand mysteries that I can't solve, it's so irritating!"

"Can I offer a compromise?" He asked, reaching for his phone before I pulled it out of his reach. "What if I tell you how I did it, _after_ our date is over? That way, it preserves the surprise and you'll get the answer to your mystery."

"Fine." I surrendered, tossing him his phone. "But whatever our next stop is, you'd better make it worth my while if you're going to do this right."

"Oh don't worry. I've got it all planned out. Trust me, it's going to blow you away." Despite his assurance, I could see a sly grin creeping on his lips that sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't shake the feeling. He was definitely planning something, but I doubted it was what I expected.

As we finally reached the skating rink, the first thing I noticed was the way it seemed completely empty of life. No one came to greet us at the door, though it was unlocked, and whoever he called a favor from (assuming he did) was not present.

He led me, rolling my eyes, through the dark lit corridors, until we came to the locker room where I assumed he'd be acquiring our skates. "Give me a second." I told him. "I...uhh...need to powder my nose." To be honest, I had no idea what that meant, but it was something I'd heard women use before to excuse themselves.

Whatever the meaning, Kiba nodded his head, allowing me to run off to a side corridor where I could have some privacy. Opening my own phone, I quickly punched in the numbers and called Vi. "Hello?" She answered. "Caitlyn, is that you? Where are you?"

"I'm on a date with Kiba." I whispered into the phone. There was a second of silence before the line erupted into laughter. "Vi, I'm serious! I need your help here."

"S-sorry Cupcake. You're right, I shouldn't laugh. It's just too funny. Alright, what do you need help with? The condom rolls downward. He should know how to do this by now though."

"Shut up, Vi. Listen! He's dragged me to an ice skating rink, but I don't know how to skate. Do you?"

"Seriously? You've never gone ice skating?"

I rolled my eyes. "Judge me later, for now, tell me what to do."

"Alright, it's really simple cupcake. It's like exaggerated walking. Just shift your weight to one foot, letting it carry you, then shift your weight to the other. Back and forth. Point your toes where you'd like to go and then that's where you'll go."

My eyes glanced back at the entrance. Was that really all there was to it? "Alright, thanks."

"Good luck out there cupcake. Be sure you do a little twirl for me, kay?"

I hung up the phone without responding. Returning to the room, I found him waiting patiently for me, beside him were two pairs of skates. "Really?" I asked. "You know my shoe size?"

"Still not creepy." He tried, before sighing. "Okay, so it's a little creepy."

I just sat beside him, slipping on my skates with a grin. "In a way, it's kind of sweet that you've memorized all these things about me, even if I'm not sure when that information came up."

"Ah...I think it came up when we worked one of our first cases together. You were so suspicious of me because I'd manage to get a tip off, and you thought that I was the suspect. All we had to go on was a foot print and you accused it of being mine, but I proved it wrong because my feet were too big. Our argument became so heated that I demanded you tell us your shoe size, and you did. I just remember is all." He explained, causing me to smile.

"Oh yeah." I chuckled to myself. "I do remember that. I remember thinking that you were such a belligerent man. I even mistook you for a detective at first. I had a lot of men from the Police trying to tell me how to do my job like I was some kind of rookie, just because of my age."

"What changed your mind?"

"Who said I changed my mind?" I teased. "You're still as belligerent as you ever were. But…" I paused, lacing up my skates. "I can't deny that I'm glad you're around. Things would be boring if someone wasn't there to challenge me every now and again. So thank you, for that."

"Is the great and powerful Caitlyn actually calling me a challenge?" He asked in faux flabbergast. "But the Sheriff of Piltover is never wrong! There must be some sort of mistake."

"I never said that." I argued. "I know I can be wrong...sometimes."

Having finished his skates, he stood up, offering me his hands to help me up as well. However, I ignored it, electing to stand up on my own in an attempt to show him that I wasn't some uncoordinated klutz. I wobbled a little, but I managed to remain upright as he just grinned. "Well, even if that is the case, I don't think you'll be worrying about me catching you on that very often. I usually just like to play the devil's advocate. Your job is to _be_ right, Caitlyn. My job is only to make people think I'm right."

"I don't think so." I called after him, hobbling closer to the ice. "I think your job is much more important than that. As much as you like to play Devil's Advocate, I've never seen you print any sort of smear piece that wasn't completely tongue in cheek. Like with the baking contest a while back between Morgana and Pantheon. You didn't insult Pantheon, you just pointed out inconsistencies with his cooking and the ingredients he used. You didn't call him a cheater, you showed he was a cheater."

"Show don't tell is the first rule of being a writer." He commented, sliding himself along the ice before turning back to face me. I was shocked by what I saw as I entered. In the center of the ring was a large table covered in roses that framed him in crimson as he stretched out his arms. "Tada."

I covered my mouth, my face turning a bright red as I tried to conceal my smile. "You're such a jerk! I knew you had something crazy planned."

"Oh it gets better. Watch this." He clapped his hands twice causing soft music to settle around us. As the sounds of flutes and saxophones filled the air, the lights dimmed, causing one pale shaft of light to come down onto him like a spot light. He moved gracefully, more than I thought possible as he swirled around the table, plucked a rose from the vase, and stopped just before me, sending a small spray of ice in my direction, causing me to shield myself.

"That's so not funny." I giggled, brushing the ice from my face before reaching for the rose he was offering me. He stepped back a bit , making it so I'd have to come on the ice to get to him. Hesitantly, I made my way closer, finding that it was much more difficult than Vi had insinuated. I flailed my arms, trying to maintain my balance as he just stood there, the grin plastered on his face. I'd finally manage to find my center of gravity before shooting him a look that warned him of the danger of teasing me about this.

"What's wrong?" He asked, the smile never fading. My only reply was to flip him the bird, causing him to put his hand over his chest in shock. "Such foul gestures, coming from a lady no less!"

"Shut up! I've never done this before." I snapped, slowly making way to him. As I began to move, I was happy with myself, until I realized I didn't know how to stop. "Catch me, catch me, catch me." I cried over and over again as I came closer to him, grateful when he finally opened his arms and caught me. The two of us stood there, sliding even more gently together as he then offered me the rose once more.

"Congratulations. You made it." He beamed, causing me to smirk before reaching up to take it from him. Just as my fingers wrapped around the stem, the lights all turned back on, and there was a loud cheering from the stands, followed by an applause.

The color drained from my face as I looked up to see Vi and Thane sitting there clapping their hands. I couldn't believe him! I couldn't believe _them_! "You son of a bitch." I growled to him, shoving him away before losing my balance, causing them to laugh hysterically. Now I was even more humiliated. I sat on the ice, commanding myself to hold it together as he came closer to me.

"I'm sorry Caitlyn," he laughed, "when I told Vi what was going on, they just had to see it." He offered me his hand, but I quickly slapped it away from me. Turning over and carefully sliding towards the exit. I could still hear my deputies cackling in the stands, though now Kiba's had faded as he came after me.

I sat on the bench, working to untie my skates with trembling hands. I'd managed to prick myself on one of the rose's thorns while I was skating, so my fingers burned when I'd grasped the laces. Taking them off, I threw them towards the lockers before burying my face in my hands.

"Caitlyn?" He called.

"Go away." I demanded. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me like this.

"What's the matter?" He asked, sitting down beside me. "Did you get hurt when you fell?"

"What's the matter?!" I shouted at him. "You pull your bullshit stunt, and then ask me what the matter is?! I'll tell you what's the matter, since it so obviously eludes your intellectual grasp. You humiliated me, Kiba! You've dragged me with you all night, just so you could bring me here and have a laugh at my expense! That's what's the matter!" My eyes were glistening before I shook my head, still trying to hide my tears.

"But they're your friends…" He murmured, causing me turn on him.

"That's right! So you didn't just embarrass me, you did it in front of the two people I care about most. Don't you get it?"

I felt him wrap his arms around me in a protective hug, but I quickly shoved him away from me, sliding to the other end of the bench. "It's not like that." He finally said. "I didn't do all this to embarrass you. Really, I didn't." He took out his phone, tapping it against his leg for a moment before using his thumb to activate it. "You can read the last few messages, but that's it, okay? Nothing else."

He slid the phone to me, where I caught it on the bench, my gaze finally looking down towards it.

"Kiba: ' _Hey Kyle, I've got a special girl I need to take out on the town tonight. Can you hook me up?'_

"Kyle: ' _Sure thing. When and where?'_

"Kiba: ' _Cogwheel Cafe, ASAP. I'll stall her for as long as I can. Thanks again.'_

"Kyle: ' _It'll be there. Just tell it where you want, we'll consider it even.'_

"Kiba: ' _Frank, I need to ask you a favor. I'm going on a date with a girl.'_

"Frank: ' _You on a date? Ha! Pull the other one.'_

"Kiba: ' _Thanks for the vote of confidence. Look, I'm trying to show her a good time. Her favorite movie is Untouchables. Can you make it happen?'_

"Frank: ' _How much time do I have?'_

"Kiba: ' _We'll be leaving in about fifteen minutes. Then it's a 30 minute ride. Think you can manage? I can try to stall more.'_

"Frank: ' _Already got the kids out searching the city. If push comes to shove, I got another crime movie for you.'_

"Kiba: ' _Hey Vi, can I ask your advice?'_

"Vi: ' _Advice?'_

"Kiba: ' _I have a running thing with Caitlyn right now. I have to take her on a date and impress her enough so she'll agree to tell me what she likes in men.'_

"Vi: ' _So you have to find out what she likes, without knowing what she likes. That's going to be tough. What do you have planned?'_

"Kiba: ' _I'm taking her to an old cinema to watch Untouchables.'_

"Vi: ' _Ooh, her favorite. Good call.'_

"Kiba: ' _Oh my Gods. She just fell asleep on me. What do I do?'_

"Vi: ' _Lol, typical Cupcake. You should carry her. She'll find it sweet. Have you figured out what to do next yet?'_

"Kiba: ' _I'm thinking taking her ice skating.'_

"Vi: ' _Cait ice skating? This Thane and I have to see.'_

"Kiba: ' _Ooh. Pick up two dozen roses and place them on a table in the middle of the rink. We'll make this the most romantic date she's ever been on.'_

"Vi: ' _Try the only date she's ever been on. You're doing well, Kiba. Try not to make her fall too hard for you, okay? I still need my partner.'_

"Kiba: ' _Haha, very funny.'_

Vi: ' _Seriously though, thanks for this. I'm sure she'll love it.'"_

I slowly placed the phone back on the bench. "Well?" He asked. "Did it help?"

"A little." I replied. "I'm sorry you went through all this trouble."

He just chuckled. "For you, Caitlyn it wasn't any trouble at all. I don't know why guys avoid you. Maybe it comes with the badge, maybe you just intimidate them. Either way, you deserve to be treated better."

"Great." I laughed through my tears. "Now I'm even more embarrassed than I was. Those two will never let me live it down."

"They're your friends, Cait. If they can't love you for who you are, then maybe you should find better friends. Anyway, come on. Our date isn't over yet." He stood in front of me, again offering me his hands to help me stand up. I looked up into his smiling face, his deep blue eyes almost mesmerising in the way they glimmered in the locker room's dim light. "Besides, I didn't exactly call in a favor to use this place, so who knows how long it'll be until the Sheriff shows up to arrest us. I've heard she can be kind of a bitch when it comes to law breakers."

That was all it took to make me smile again. I took his hands, getting to my feet. "Yeah well, that's what you get for being an ass in the first place." I whispered as he led me back towards the ice. "So what are you planning now anyway? We can't very well skate in our shoes."

"Nah, I've got a special kind of carriage for us." He laughed, pointing to a zamboni that waited by the rink. Already the table was packed up and gone, along with Vi and Thane. The only thing left over was the vase of roses that sat perched upon the wall. Following my gaze, he leaned towards me to purr into my ear. "Don't worry, you get to keep those."

The two of us clumsily made our way to the Zamboni, giggling and laughing every time one of us lost our balance, only to have to be held up by the other, or in the worst case, pulling them down with us. The pressure didn't seem so intense without an audience, and after finding out the things he'd said to set things up...it didn't feel so humiliating to be pampered any more. When we finally got there, he helped me to sit on the back of it before joining me. "Do you know how to drive one of these?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Hey, we're both fairly intelligent people. I'm sure we can figure this out, right? I mean, obviously I'd have to do most of the work, but I'm sure your suggestions will give me some help, even if they are wrong most of the time." I playfully swatted at him before brushing the hair from his eyes.

"Just be sure to keep your eyes on the ice, hmm?" I teased, crossing one leg over the other. As he started it up, there was a loud grinding noise before the engine seemingly died. He frowned, trying again only for the same thing to happen. "Having some trouble there, Mr. Genius?"

"Hold on...I think I've got it." Suddenly the thing let out a low rumble before a cloud of black smoke erupted from its front and the hood caught flame. There was suddenly a really loud alarm as the sprinklers began to go off. "Erm, I think we should go." He muttered, causing me to nod in agreement. The two of us made our way much more swiftly off the ice before leaving an anonymous tip to the fire department.

As we stood by the carriage, I came to a realization that made me frown. "Oh no! I left the roses."

"It's alright." He assured me, pulling out a single rose and presenting it to me. "It's not much, but it's the second best rose I've seen all evening."

"Such a charmer." I joked, stepping back into the carriage. "So, where to now, lady killer?"

"Your place."

"Forward." I commented. "Most ladies see that as a turn off."

"Funny, but if you recall I am a gentleman, and a gentleman always sees a lady safely to her home." I smiled at him as I leaned forward and gave the carriage my address, sending us off into the night. I clung on to the rose, holding it to my chest. I knew then that this wasn't a night I'd ever forget. My first real date, even if it wasn't a 'real' real date.

As the coach came to a stop outside of my house, Kiba opened its door for me and helped me down one last time. This time, with his hand in mine, he walked me to my doorstep, where we stood in the light. "Well...here we are." I stated.

"Yep. I'm sorry if I'm not great at good byes. It's the one thing I've always struggled with."

"You mean other than your subpar intellect?"

He stuck out his tongue at me playfully. "Cute. But in seriousness, I'm sorry about the end there. I really wasn't trying to embarrass you. I really hope that it didn't ruin the rest of the time we had tonight. If you really need help seeing the bright side, at least you had a good nap at the theatre."

My lips curled into a smile as a light pink reached my cheeks. "No, if anything tonight was perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. Except for the fire, the fire probably could have been a bit more romantic. You know, some marshmallows, make some s'mores or something."

"Don't be silly," he laughed, "if both you and a fire were in the same room, it would be waaay too hot. We'd have set off every fire alarm in all of Piltover."

"Perhaps so. Either way, thank you for tonight. It was wonderful." I stood there, fiddling with my keys for a moment, neither of us sure where to go from there. "Listen, I'm sorry I was such a bitch earlier. I just didn't know what was going on, and I…"

He held up his hand to stop me. "No, no. It's alright. I understand completely. To be honest, I was worried that you were just going to give me some bullshit answer when this was all over with. Like 'a good personality' or some such. I guess we were both a little untrusting of each other."

"How did you manage to send all those text messages without me noticing anyway?"

I grinned. "It's a useful skill to learn how to type in one's pocket when someone's having a conversation. It lets me interview people without them realizing what I'm doing. Now, what did you say your bank information was again?" He asked, slipping his hand in his pocket.

"You really are some kind of jerk. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to be on your phone when you're with a beautiful woman?"

"Oh, so you're beautiful now? Glad to see that the ice didn't unswell that ego of yours." He teased back as we just stood there, until our laughter again subsided. "So…"

"So…" I echoed. "I hope you don't think I plan on asking you in."

"Well, I was kind of hoping you'd hold up your end of the bargain."

"So sex is a bargain now, is it?"

He frowned. "I was talking about the information."

"Oh! Oh, the information right. I'm sorry, all this fluster you've given me made me kind of scatter brained. I blame the roses. I always loved those. Very well, you've shown that you're pretty good at doing your homework. I suppose I'll tell you what I like in men." I paused for a moment, trying to think about it.

"Okay."

"Yep, going to tell you."

"You've never really thought about it, have you?"

"Of course I've thought about it, who hasn't thought about what they find ideal in a date?"

"Fair enough. So…?"

"So, what?"

"Your ideal date."

I realized this wasn't something I'd be able to stall for time for. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to think of all of the things I'd combine together into the perfect man for myself. "Well, he'd have to be smart…"

"As expected."

"And, I'd like it if he was cute. Not physically cute, but more of a cute personality. Someone kind of sweet and unassuming. They'd have to be caring and genuine. Gods know they couldn't have a double life, I do _not_ envy Vi. That must be so stressful." I shook my head as he ran his hands through his hair bashfully. "I suppose where I'm going with this is that it'd have to be someone I knew I could trust and love unconditionally and who would feel the same about me."

"That's a very noble dream." He commented with a smile. "I hope that you find who you are looking for someday. You've been a big help Caitlyn, I hope you sleep well." He brought my hand up to kiss the back of it one last time before letting it fall through his fingers and turning to walk back to the coach. That fool, I couldn't believe he was so oblivious. Then again, I suppose I wasn't much one to talk. His words echoed in my mind: 'show, don't tell'.

That's it then. I didn't have any choice but to show him. "Kiba." I called after him.

He stopped, turning back to look at me. "Yes?" Before he could react, I threw my arms around him, placing my lips against his in a soft yet passionate kiss. He was so surprised by my action, he actually froze up, unsure of what was going on. His arms wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer to him as I did the same, kissing him deeply.

Surely, if anything could convince him of my feelings, this was it. As the two of us finally pulled apart, I smiled softly at him. "Now it's a perfect date. If I could make someone to be my perfect date, well...he'd be a heck of a lot like you."

He turned a bright red, scratch the back of his neck bashfully. "Thanks." He replied. "Really, I doubt I'd deserve such an achievement as winning the heart of the famed Sheriff of Piltover. But even still, your words mean a lot, Sheriff."

His words made me sink like a stone. It wasn't Caitlyn, anymore. Now it was Sheriff, again. Did he not feel anything about me? Was he truly just oblivious, or maybe he was trying to let me down easy? I didn't think any of those were the case, but I could tell that whatever dreams I'd had of something being between us had been dashed, all with just one little word. Yet, somehow, I was okay with that. I wasn't heartbroken, just disappointed. "Kiba." I repeated, causing him to turn back to look at me again, this time bracing himself in case I pounced. I walked up to him, turning his head and placing one last kiss on his cheek. "From now on, it's Caitlyn, understand? You don't call me Sheriff."

He grinned and nodded. "Very well, Caitlyn. I'll keep that in mind. But just so you know, if you make me mad, I'll probably still call you Sheriff every now and then."

"Get out of here." I teased, walking back to my door. As the carriage took off back towards his home, I took a deep breath, unlocked my door, and stepped inside of my new life to sleep.


	2. Kal X Katarina

Kal x Kat

 **Not-canon**

Examining myself in the mirror, I smiled cutely to finish the look before sighing. This, I'd decided, was not something I'd particularly enjoy. These Institute Gala things were always more of my sister's schtick then mine. Even still, my summoner was going to be awarded for his service. As such, as his champion, it was my duty to be there beside him when the medal was granted.

My finger absently ran over the scar that crossed my left eye before brushing my scarlet hair from my face. Putting in the earings and slinging my hand bag over my shoulder, I shakily made my way up to the second floor of the manor. About half-way up the stairs, I surrendered, sitting down and taking off my heels to leave them there. Why women ever put up with those things, I'd never know.

Finally reaching his door, I raised my hand to knock before pausing. I knew that despite the award, this was a painful moment for him. Every time it was brought up, you could see the awful pain in his eyes. Glancing at the clock, I bit my lip. We needed to be there soon. Steeling myself, I knocked on the door.

When there was no reply, I cracked it open slightly and peered in. "Kal? Are you finished getting dressed?" He said nothing, standing in his suit and staring into his reflection with a lost look of desperation. Walking in behind him, I tried my best to put on a smile. "You look very handsome," I complimented.

"I'm not going."

"Kal…"

"What is there to celebrate, Kat? I failed."

I took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. This was a battle we'd been having ever since that day. "No, Kal. You didn't fail. You won. You beat Magnus. You stripped him of his power and you freed every champion he'd possessed from his influence." Again, he fell silent. Walking up to him, I grasped his chin to tear his eyes from the mirror to look at me. "You freed me," I reminded him.

He gently tugged away, his chest rising and falling in labored breaths. I could tell he was trying to put on a strong face, but I fear that was all he was trying to do. "Not every champion," he murmured.

I wrapped my arm around his, assuringly stroking his shoulder. "She knows you did your best, Kal. I know how much you loved her, but she wouldn't want you to be like this."

"And how would you know what she wants?" He snapped coldly. "It was your fault that she was there in the first place." I shuddered, but refused to let go of his arm. He was right, of course. I should have opened my eyes a lot sooner than I did. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" he began.

"It's alright," I assured him. "I know. Right now though, you need to finish getting ready so we can go. If you want, we can simply accept the award, then slip out the back when no one is looking. Unfortunately, I'm afraid we do have to make an appearance."

"Y-yeah. Okay." He surrendered finally, taking one last look at his reflection. Taking his lapels in my hands, I flattened his jacket against his shoulders before straightening his tie with an assuring simper.

He returned my gaze, though my smile was not reciprocated. As I pulled him into a hug, I leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "If it's any consolation, I know that she'd be proud of you. You _did_ win, Kal. Even if you didn't come out unscathed, you still saved Valoran. You're a hero." As I pulled away, I could see the doubt in his eyes. Grasping his hand in mine, I began to tug him playfully after me. "You're _my_ hero."

"Thanks Kat, I'm sure you're right," he sighed finally. As the two of us began to step into the hallway, we could hear the anxious pounding of feet from the young sorceress as she ran to throw her arms around Kal's waist.

"Take me with you!" Annie whined. "I want to go to the party, too! Tibbers says that there'll be cake and a chocolate fountain. Please?"

Immediately, the gloom that had surrounded my summoner seemed to melt away slightly as he leaned down, picking up the rambunctious child. "Annie, we've talked about this. The party isn't starting until 10:30 and it'll be far past your bedtime. If I could, I'd stay here, but your aunt…"

Both pairs of eyes fell on me as I walked up and ruffled her hair. "Sorry, kiddo. I'm afraid you'll just have to stay here. Don't worry though, Talon and Cass will be here, so you won't be alone." Taking her from Kal's arms and holding her in mine, I leaned in to place a playful raspberry on her cheek. "Besides, I promise I'll bring you home a slice of cake, okay?"

She just giggled, playfully pushing me away to keep from teasing her again. "Okay, okay. I'll be good, I promise." I set her down before she went back to Kal and hugged his waist. "I love you, Kal. Please don't be sad."

He gently held her there, looking helplessly at me. "I love you, too, Annie. Now go on, wash up and get to bed." She gave a playful salute before running off to do as she was asked. Turning back to me, he nodded towards the door. He was starting to warm up, thankfully. "You're great with her, you know that? You'd make a wonderful mother some day."

I covered up a chortle. "Of all the words to describe me, Kal, motherly is the last I'd use. Just after elegant and feminine." Stooping down, I picked up my shoes, but still held them in my hands. I wouldn't be putting those torture devices on again until we were at least halfway to the party.

As he held the door open for me, I paused making sure we had everything. With his mind so preoccupied, Kal tended to be a bit more scatterbrained as of late, so again, as his champion, I felt it was obligatory to pick up the slack. "We set?" He asked, politely.

"Just about," I replied before turning back towards the grand hall. "Talon, we're leaving!" I called out to him, before turning around to come face to face with one of my oldest friends.

"Not without these, you're not," he lectured, holding up the sparkling ruby necklace and the fur wrap. I let out a huff before snatching the fur wrap from his grip and draping it over my shoulders as he handed the necklace to Kal. "Do not worry, either of you. Annie is in capable hands."

"Thanks Talon," Kal said, just before the _second_ best Noxian assassin disappeared. My summoner chuckled at my distaste, brushing my hair aside so he could help drape the jewelry over my pale neck. "I still don't understand why you avoid this thing like the plague. I think it looks excellent on you. It really brings out your eyes."

"Don't be such a pansy, Kal," I teased before taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of his fingers on the back of my neck. "The reason I don't like wearing the necklace is because it belonged to my mother. Despite that I hate going to these things, my father always insisted I wear it. After all, I'm the 'eldest heir of the Du Couteau lineage'. My sister's always envied it, however, so I hate wearing it, because I feel like she deserves it more than I do."

As the pendant dangled just above the valley of my breasts that the dress did little to hide, he carefully tugged my hair back into place before his hands ran along my shoulders with a reaffirming squeeze. "I'm sure she understands. Besides, doesn't she have a boyfriend or something?"

"Who, Brett? I mean...I guess. They're is certainly something between them, but Brett's always talking about some other girl he likes. Besides, he's pretty young for my sister. I mean, she's a little over 18, he's 14. I know that's not much in the grand scheme of things, but for the moment, it's a little creepy."

My summoner chuckled, removing his hands from me. "Yeah, I suppose you have a point. It's be like if Annie were dating a 14 year old, I guess. Boy, wouldn't that be a hassle."

I shrugged. "Talon's taken a liking to her. That means that any boy who works up the courage to ask her out is probably going to be strung upside down and interrogated before he approves. Now come on, quit gawking at me and let's go. If we want to get there and leave as fast as we can, we need to be there when they say your name or else we're staying to the end." As I went to leave, his hand went to mine, causing me to turn back to look into his bright blue eyes.

"Kat, I just wanted to say, thanks. You know, for being there."

I just smiled at him. "Yeah, well. Don't get all sappy on me, Summoner. We've still got plenty of time to come to hate each other. After all, 13 years doesn't go by in a flash, you know?"

He said nothing in reply, but released me anyway. As we filed out, I could sense there was something on his mind, but I kept it to myself. We could have that conversation _after_ I got him on the train.

When we finally did board without incident, I found us an isolated spot on the train to sit. As he did, he immediately turned to look longingly out the window. That spelt trouble. "What is it?"

"This is the place where I met Kiba," he explained. "His first words to me were 'Go after her.' I'd managed to make an utter ass of myself, as usual, and Ahri ran off in tears." Oh shit. "He blackmailed me into chasing after her. In the end, I'm glad he did because if I hadn't she would have quit the League when we talked to the council." His eyes began to water up already as he thought about it. _He's already on the train_ , I reminded myself. _He has to go. This is good for him._ "Though, maybe if she had...she'd still…"

I immediately grasped him and shook him to snap him out of it. "Don't even start thinking like that!" I growled. "Don't you dare disrespect her memory by saying she would have been better off without you. We both know that her time with you was the happiest in her life." He seemed taken aback by the suddenness of my action, so I slowly released him and let out a deep exhale of air. "Kal, you know why I left to find you, don't you?"

"You were jealous."

"Partially. It was also because when I saw the things Magnus was doing to her, I knew she wasn't happy. Sure, she may have thought she was, but I know that if she'd remembered you, she'd have never given up on you. Besides, you found her. You really did."

"What little good that did." He huffed, sinking back into his seat. Crossing over to sit beside him, I slid against him to reassuringly slip my arm around his again, almost like an escort. "She did remember me, you know? Right at the end. The last thing she said to me was 'I love you.' I just hope that Magnus rots in the Hells where he belongs."

"He will, I swear on it," I promised, leaning my head against his shoulder. After a moment, I felt his head lean back towards mine, a symbol of his affection. I closed my eyes, a soft smile coming to my face. This was nice. It was good for us to finally talk about everything. I knew in my heart that Ahri would want Kal to move on. After all, it'd been almost a year now.

The League was really dragging its feet with Magnus' trial. According to them, he hadn't 'technically' committed a crime, which was absolute bullshit. I didn't know what crime 'mind control' fell under, but it sure as hell had to fit somewhere! So for now, they'd decided it was best to simply detain him under the Institute until High Councilor Reginald Ashram was found to give a ruling. He'd been missing for nearly five years, which meant that Magnus wasn't going anywhere soon. He also wasn't getting the punishment he deserved and that just seemed to eat at Kal like a cancer.

That was when my eyes glanced up into the night to see spotlights arching across the darkness through the tree line. My eyes narrowed in confusion. If that was the Institute then...damn it! "Kal, we're on the wrong train!"

"What?"

I stood up quickly, tugging him after me to get to the ticket-man. "Hey, is this train heading for the Institute?" I demanded.

He looked at me puzzled. "No? Didn't you look at your ticket? This train is heading for Demacia."

My wrathful gaze caused the man to withdraw as I turned back to Kal. "Demacia?" I growled, clenching my fist causing him to smile sheepishly. "How did you manage to buy tickets to Demacia?!"

"I think the ticket lady must have misunderstood me. She asked what tickets I wanted and I told her the cheapest ones. I may have forgotten to mention where we were actually going." His cheeks were bright pink as I grabbed on to him.

"Gods, you're utterly hopeless. Hold tight." With a flash, I used shunpo to transport both of us safely beside the train. Looking down at my feet, I sighed. As the train rattled past us, I leaned down and slipped off my shoes to begin walking down the line.

"Where are you going?" Kal asked, following after me.

"Where do you think I'm going?"

"Seriously? We're still going to the party?" I turned on him, ready to rip his head off before taking a deep breath. Brushing my disheveled hair from my eyes, I walked up to him and took both of his hands in mine.

Staring deeply into his eyes, I told him as calmly as possible, "Kal...this is good for you. Understand? You've been holed away for nearly a year. You are my summoner, and that means that I'm supposed to look out for you. I understand you don't want to go to this party. I don't want to go to this party. But we have to, for your sake and mine." Releasing his hands, I continued walking as he fell into place beside me. "And don't think you actually fooled me for one second with your innocent routine. I know you got the wrong tickets on purpose."

"Maybe I just wanted to see Lux," he grumbled, causing me to glare at him before he put up his hands defensively. "Kidding. Sorry. You know why I can't do that."

"Yeah," I sighed finally, "I know." Scanning the lights up above, thousands of calculations began running through my head. Weather, distance, power. All were factors in locating how far and in which direction the Institute was. "This way," I finally pointed. "We should be there in about an hour." Pulling the phone that I'd wedged between my breasts out, I flipped it open and punched in a series of numbers.

"What are you doing?"

"Hey, Swain? What's going on at the ceremony?" I asked through the receiver, ignoring Kal's question.

"Lady Du Couteau, how nice to hear your voice again. How are things going with your new summoner?"

"Can the crap, bird-man. I'm not in the mood." I snapped before remembering myself and clearing my throat. "Sorry about that, sir. Tonight's been…" My eyes fell back on Kal who was craning his neck over my shoulder to try to listen in before I shoved him away. "difficult."

He gave that eerie chuckle that always put me on edge. He was a brilliant man, truly, and that's what made him so scary. "I see. So I imagine then that our dear Kal is there with you, is he?"

"Yes." I admitted.

"And he's putting up a struggle, hmm?"

"Yes."

"And you want me to stall for time until the two of you get here. Is that not also, so?"

I sighed softly, running my hands through my hair. "Yes. We'll be there in an hour. Can you at least find a way to halt the ceremony until then?"

On the other end of the line, Swain's eyes fell to Garen who stood in his dress clothes by the punch bowl. Next to him was the visibly irritable Sejuani glaring daggers at her rival who was having diplomatic discussions with a group of men. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to think of something," he commented. "Good luck Lady Du Couteau." Hanging up the phone, he hobbled towards the table, causing Garen to glare at him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Crownguarde. How is the punch?" Swain's lips curled into a sly grin.

"It's fine," he replied through gritted teeth. "Is there something I could help you with, _Swine_?"

"Now, now. No need to be uncivil," he replied, tapping his cane thoughtfully on the ground. "We're at a party, I think we can put aside our differences for one afternoon. I mean, just look, you're already making progress. Standing beside the true Queen of the Freljord, making friendly banter, when you've already made an alliance and sent troops to aid her sworn enemy. Good for you, sir." He applauded, just as Sejuani turned to give a piercing glare at Garen. Just as the 'Might of Demacia' opened his mouth to speak, Swain cut him off, pouring himself a cup of punch. "But, then again, I suppose that is your way after all. Demacians only ally with those who they view as weak and helpless, which is why you will never truly win in the end, I'm afraid."

The High General smirked as Garen took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. "Listen very closely, _Swine_. Demacians are proud and honorable people. We do not ally ourselves with the weak and helpless. We fight for the side that has the strongest heart. Now I will kindly ask that you turn and leave, before I become very, very, angry."

Swain shrugged his shoulders. "Ah well. My mistake then. I was under the impression that Demacia pitied the Avarosan." By this point, Sejuani was visibly shaking with rage. Turning from the table, he began to hobble away.

Garen called after him, "The only ones Demacians pity are our enemies for being foolish enough to face us!"

With an inarticulate scream, Sejuani leapt on Garen, taking him to the ground and beginning to pummel him mercilessly. Making his way through the ensuing crowd, Swain sipped from his cup of punch and found a comfortable seat to watch the show.

My summoner and I made our way through the thick brush between us and the Institute. "Kat, this is ridiculous, let's just go home." Kal grumbled behind her, ducking beneath another branch.

Honestly, I agreed, but I'd be damned if I let him weasel his way out of this one. "It's just as tough going back as it is going forward," I argued. "We're already practically there."

"Yeah, but I can teleport us back home." I stopped, causing him to bump into me before I turned on him. "What?"

"Kal, I know you're not telling me that after I spent hours on my hair, makeup, and squeezing into this ridiculously sized dress, that are getting messed up because you bought the wrong tickets, that you have had a teleport spell prepared this entire time that could have taken us to the Institute!"

"Why are you so insistent on us going?" He finally grumbled. "They can just mail us the award. It's not like we have to actually show up."

"Gah! You are hopeless!" I snapped, turning away from him.

"Where are you going?"

"The damned party, Kal! I'm going to the damned party! And so help me Gods, if I don't see you there, I'm going to call Talon and tell him that if you get home without me, he is to castrate you on siiiiii…" I let out a high pitched squeal as I slipped and fell into a large pit that had been hidden by leaves. A hunter's trap? Really?!

"Kat!" I heard Kal's panicked voice rushing towards me.

"No, Kal don't!" I tried to warn him, but he fell in right beside me with a painful thud, causing him to groan. "You did…" I sighed, sitting up to find that one of my heels had snapped off and my dress' hem was now in tatters. "Gods, damn it!" I snarled, throwing the broken heel across the pit before resting my head against the sheer wall.

"Are you all right?" Kal asked, crawling beside me to pluck a leaf out of my hair.

"No." I finally groaned, covering my face with my hands. "No, Kal, I'm not all right. I have been doing everything in my power to try to make things better for you, but nothing has gone right. We were late leaving. We got on the wrong train. We just spent half an hour walking through the jungle only to fall into an abandoned tiger pit. Now my dress is ruined, my shoe broke, and obviously the only option we have at this point is to just go home. So no, Kal nothing is all right."

He looked around for a moment before replying, "Well, at least there weren't spikes in the pit. Can you imagine?" When I didn't speak, he turned to me, pulling my hands from my face to see that my mascara had smeared on my cheeks from my tears. "You're...crying?"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." I muttered.

"Kat, why are you trying so hard at this? This thing really isn't that important. There will be other ceremonies, other awards."

"No, there won't!" I snapped, causing him to frown. "We have to go Kal, because I know you've already submitted your resignation to the League. I know you're wanting to quit." He opened his mouth to object. "Don't try to deny it Kal. I saw the letter myself. So what is it? Is it because of Ahri? Am I not a good enough Champion that you think I can't take care of you? Why are you giving up on this?"

Soon, Kal was crying as well as he leaned against me. "I'm sorry, Kat...I'm so sorry. I just...every day I'm alive without her hurts. I don't want to hurt anymore."

As the realization began to dawn on me, I rolled over on top of him and slammed him hard against the wall of the pit. "You listen to me you son of a bitch! Don't even think for a damned second that I will let you be so selfish. You have other people who rely on you. People who care about you! What about Annie? What about Lux? What about Lucian and Jinx and every other friend that you've made trying to rescue Ahri? Do you think they enjoy watching you like this? Do you think that they aren't hurting too? You were not the only who cared about Ahri and she was not the only person who cared about you!" I gripped his jacket tightly, ready to smash him again as we both trembled there. "Damn it, Kal! How could you possible be so selfish?"

His hands lifted from the ground beside him, running up my legs to hold my waist as he stared into my eyes and shook his head. "No, Kat. I'm not being selfish." He whispered to me. "I'm not quitting the League because I'm giving up. I'm quitting the League because I'm moving on." He smiled up at me, his blue eyes shining beneath his dark brown hair. "I'm tired of hurting," he repeated. "I'm not tired of living."

"Gods, you son of a bitch." I chuckled through my tears, collapsing on him in a tight embrace. "You just let me say all of those things. I feel like a damned idiot."

"You are a damned idiot." He teased, hugging me close.

I snuggled against him, holding him there for a long time before I whispered in his ear, "You're still not getting out of this party."

"Damn it."

"Sorry," I giggled, "but you do have to go."

"But...I mean...your shoe's broken, and your makeup is smudged...and your dress…"

"I swear to you, Kal, I'd go completely soaked and covered head to toe in burlap. We're going to that party because you deserve that award and I deserve to go to a party. So you have two choices: teleport us there, or I knock you out and drag you through the jungle."

He grinned as I stood up, offering him my hands to help him to his feet. "Yeah, I guess you're too smart for me Kat."

"As if there was a doubt."

"Close your eyes. My teleport kicks up a lot of sand and I don't want you crying any more than you already have."

I rolled my eyes but did as he instructed. If I'd kept them open, I'd have seen him take the flask from his pocket, inspect it for a moment before throwing it out of the pit. Even with my eyes closed, a bright purple light flooded it. I felt myself falling, vanishing into an abyss. Even in the nothingness though, I could feel Kal there beside me, his hand in mine.

Suddenly, we were slammed back into reality in a way that made my stomach drop. As I opened my eyes, the two of us stood at the train platform that lead to the Institute. "Not bad, Summoner," I commented. "But couldn't you get us a little bit closer?"

"I could have. But then I wouldn't be able to do this." Holding out his palms, his lips moved to utter one word. "Cleanse." A raging wind whipped around us as I tried to cover up my face, only for my clothes and makeup to no longer be dirty or smudged. I looked at him in shock, causing him to grin. He'd even managed to repair my clothing.

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can't really whistle."

"Shut up," I laughed, taking a step just before my heel broke again, nearly sending me toppling over. He quickly caught me with a chuckle before I shot him a glare that made him quickly stifle it.

"Here," he offered, helping me to a bench to sit. "Let me see them."

"I don't think magically repairing them will help." I grumbled. Taking them in his hands, I nearly fainted when he grabbed the heel on the other one and snapped it off completely before tossing both broken heels into a trash can. "K-kal! Those cost me over five hundred Valors! Those were designer shoes!"

He slid them back on my feet before offering me his hands to help me up. "Five hundred Valors to let you stumble around like a drunken giraffe? Kat, you're plenty beautiful without an extra three inches added to your height. Besides, that'd make you taller than me and screw that."

Taking an experimental step, I found them to be far more comfortable as I let out a sigh of relief. "Sheesh, when did you start being the one to take care of me?" I asked, wrapping my arm around his.

"When I realized that you couldn't walk in heels. Evelynn can do it while running. You'll need to step up your game if you're ever going to beat her in a battle."

I just nuzzled against him. "That'll be hard to do without a summoner." I pointed out.

"You say that like you'll never have another one," he commented, but I quickly tugged on his arm to stop him before circling in front of him. "What?"

I looked up at him with a smile. "Ever think maybe I don't want another one?"

He tilted his head, perplexed. "What are you saying, Kat?"

"I'm saying," I paused for a moment, thinking how best to phrase it. "After this whole Magnus thing, I don't know if I can trust summoners anymore."

"You know I _am_ a summoner right? At least until the next conflict."

"Yeah, I know and you're an exception, it's just…"

"Magnus got inside of your head," he whispered. I nodded. "I'm not saying I don't understand, Kat. But promise me you're not doing this because of me. You know that even if you're a champion for another summoner that doesn't mean I'll stop coming around."

"I know, but that doesn't mean that I _want_ someone else around."

He bit his lip as I waited expectantly for his response. Peering over my shoulder, he simply uttered, "We should talk about this later. I don't know if even Swain can cause enough chaos to stall any longer." As he walked away from me, I felt my heart sink a little. It'd been a while, but somehow I couldn't explain how my feelings for Kal had changed. I know I'd told him once that I wouldn't fall for him, but...I couldn't help it. He was my Summoner. Our souls were bound. At first, I didn't say anything. He loved Ahri, and in a way he'll always love her. I felt so awful at first. How could I justify wanting the love of a man who'd just lost his 'true love'? But people don't only have one true love, do they?

As the two of us approached the party, we could still hear the sounds of a scuffle. "Swain's a miracle worker," I chuckled, grabbing on to Kal's arm. If we were going to enter the party, we'd have to do it properly.

"Names?" Alistair huffed, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked us up and down.

"Seriously?" Kal asked.

"I don't know Noxian scum."

"Riiiight. Summoner Kal and his Champion Katarina." Alistar looked at the clipboard, flipping through the papers as if he wasn't able to find us. Kal tapped his foot impatiently as he stared the large minotaur down.

"Sorry, you're not…"

WIth a flash, Kal and I vanished and reappeared inside, causing him to sigh and keep walking. "A flash spell, nice." I complimented, but I could see that Kal's face was still sullen. "Oh...I see. It really bothers you doesn't it?"

"I've been an Ionian my entire life. I'm not sure I know how to be a Noxian."

"It's not all doom, gloom, and ruining people's days," I reminded him. "In a way, you've always been a Noxian." I could see him cringe when I stated that. "Look, you met Riven, right? While I don't approve of her going absent without leave, her views on Noxus aren't wrong. We're a land of freedom and opportunity. Money and status means nothing: just skill, strength, and smarts."

"Sounds good in ideology. But you forget that I lived through the Noxian invasion. I may be a Noxian by birth, but I'll be damned if I ever take place in something that devastates families like that."

I sighed softly. "Yeah, I get it. Even if you don't like the Noxian invasion, I hope you don't view all Noxians the same way as the guy who killed your sister. We're still working on finding him by the way."

He smiled softly at me, resting his hand on the arm that was tucked under his. "I know, not all Noxians are bad."

"Ah, Lady Du Couteau, Lord Midori-hi. How nice to see you. I see that everything was straightened out." Swain called to us from a nearby table before glancing at his watch. "And ten minutes earlier than expected. Bravo."

"Thanks for the help," I replied gratefully, Kal and I sitting beside him. My eyes drifted over to the bloody and beaten Garen as he was carried away on a stretcher. "Please tell me you didn't do that."

Swain just smirked before offering Kal and I both a cup. "Punch?"

"Only if it's spiked," Kal mumbled under his breath, causing me to frown. The two never really got along, and I could understand why. Even I was on edge whenever I was near the High General. But, Kal would learn as I had that he was a man to be respected, for his ingenuity if not his morality.

"Well, I may have something to help with that." He commented, reaching into his inner coat pocket and withdrawing a flask. Seeing, Kal's eyes follow it as he took a swig, I frowned. As Swain went to pass it to him, I quickly pinned Kal's wrist to the table before pushing it back towards the High General's chest. "Ah, yes...I apologize. I forgot that you have stopped imbibing in such things."

"We both know you did not forget," I hissed.

Kal nudged my side with his elbow, but grip stayed firm on his hand. "Come on, Kat. One drink won't kill me." He tried, but I sent him a glare that shut him up quickly.

Just in case that didn't work, however, I continued, "Kal, do you remember the last time?" He stayed quiet as his struggles began to lower. "You were lucky that I and Talon were there, because you nearly knocked Annie down a flight of stairs."

"You make it sound like I hit her," he grumbled.

"Just because you didn't mean to hurt her Kal, doesn't mean that she wasn't almost hurt. She was trying to catch you, because you were so inebriated you could barely stand up. Is that where you want to go back to? Annie needs you and she can't rely on you if you're sloshed."

"I know," he stated.

"Do you?"

"Yes! Okay? I know!"

I searched his eyes for a moment before leaning back in my seat. "Good."

With the commotion now over, the lights dimmed as the stagelight focused on the podium. At that point, High Councilor Kiersta Mandrake stepped on to the stage, a polite smile on her face. This party was one of the rare few times that a High Councilor actually made an appearance, and even then all three of them never showed up in the same place. "Good evening Ladies and Gentleman. Thank you for coming to the League Awards. Since our inauguration, we have strived to create balance and peace in the world by providing a safe area to contain magic so that our world would not come to destruction. This is only possible because of the brave Summoners and Champions that put their lives on the line and go above and beyond their calling. Today, we honor those brave souls not for their strength, but for their character." Everyone politely clapped once she straightened and looked expectantly to the side. A small minion came waddling out, holding an envelope for her. "For our first recipient, this is a man of whom the stuff of legends are made. His brute strength is matched only by the kindness of his heart which keeps warm despite the coldness from which he hails. For his work for young troll children, we award Braum this Medal of Valoran."

As she placed the ribbon around the hulking man's bald head, he placed his hands on the podium. It looked more like a barstool in comparison to how large he was. "Thank you, friends." He began, before going into a long winded speech. Oh Gods, they had to give speeches? I looked towards Kal to see him sweating bullets.

"K-kal?"

"Oh man, I don't have anything prepared...what am I going to say?" He muttered, but I quickly reached out and took his hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. I nodded to him, indicating that he could do this, but he quickly shook his head, and I could see in his mind he was thinking about bolting for the exit.

"Kal, listen to me. It's going to be all right." I whispered to him, trying to calm him down. "You'll be fine. Just keep it brief, thank a few people, and walk off the stage. Come on, you've fought an entire ship of pirates with just two swords and some magic, you can talk in front of a bunch of a people." That seemed to tug him out of it a little bit, up until my eyes went over his shoulder to see Warwick scooping himself a cup of punch, albeit with some difficulty. "Excuse me for a moment," I growled.

As I went to leave, Kal's desperate fingertips left mine as the room erupted in applause for Braum's speech as the High Councilor once more took the mic. "Our next award goes to Kal'adamsul Midori-hi. For his service in helping capture a wanted rogue summoner and freeing many champions from his insidious control, we give him this award. Kal?"

As the spot light beamed down upon him, my summoner nervously stood up to take to the stage. "H-hello, everyone," he started nervously. He began to spew some poor semblance of a speech as I finally got to Warwick.

Drawing my dagger from my calf, I grabbed him and roughly threw him against the wall. "Hey, what's the big…"

"Shut up," I hissed, pressing the blade to his throat. "You've got a lot of fucking nerve showing up here after all the shit you've pulled. The League might have bought your bullshit about being controlled, but I was there and I know your fucking summoner was dead."

"All champions were invited, and I was _controlled_ by Magnus, same as you," he responded with a smirk before I slammed him hard against the wall and pressed my blade further towards him, nicking a bit of flesh.

"Do you think this is a fucking game?" He opened his mouth to reply before I slammed him again. "No, you don't get to fucking talk, you listen! You made a grave mistake Warwick, and that mistake was killing the woman my Summoner loves, because when you hurt him, you hurt me and believe me, I'm a bitch. I can hold a grudge forever. So I'll give you _one_ chance. You will turn around, drag your sorry ass out of here with your tail between your legs and you will _never_ come around my Summoner again, do you understand?" He said nothing, just before I pressed my blade even deeper, only millimeters from the artery that would cause him to bleed out in seconds. With his fur, he wouldn't even make much of a mess. "Do you understand?" I snapped in his face, my eyes full of flame before he nodded.

Drawing my blade back, he ran off with a light whimper. Up on stage, Kal's eyes flowed over the crowd as he stammered on about honor. The crowd seemed disinterested and he suddenly felt like his collar was far too tight and his mouth too dry. But then, his eyes fell on me as I slid my dagger back in the holster before following my eyes to the large wolfman. For a moment, he froze, torn between his sorrow and anger, before a soft smile came to his face. "But that's not important." He said into the mic. "I apologize for taking up so much of your time, but the truth is, there is someone here who deserves this award just as much as I do. I'm not going to embarrass her by calling her up here, but she's my Champion, Katarina."

My eyes turned in surprise towards the stage, when the spotlight fell on me. "Kal?" His entire demeanor had changed in an instant. He wasn't nervous anymore. He smiled brightly at me, leaning forward slightly on the wooden stand, his deep blue eyes shimmering in the limelight.

"Almost three years ago now, I had a champion before Katarina. Her name was Ahri, and she...well she was a beautiful woman, whom I loved very, very much." What was he doing? Was he insane? He sniffled a bit, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Ahri was a wonderful woman, and even though I tried my best to protect her, she was captured by Magnus. So I went on a long quest to save her. Along the way, I met enemies like I'd never faced before and friends like I'd never had before. I'm sorry to say, I failed in my quest. In the end, because of a betrayal from her own teammate while she was being used against me, Ahri died while carrying our children."

That was something that was news to me. I'd never heard that Ahri was pregnant, much less with multiple children. I made my way from the spotlight over to Swain where I collapsed in the chair, my mouth parted in shock. "You never knew he had so much charisma, did you?" Swain chuckled.

"At first," Kal continued, "I was heartbroken. Inconsolable to a dangerous point. I fell into a state of depression and loneliness the likes of which I've never experienced in my life. I'm also sorry to say, I turned to the bottle for comfort. My ummm...my daughter, Annie, she unfortunately saw a side of me that I wish I could take back." His eyes began to well up before he rubbed the forming tears away. "My heart, I feared, died that day on the fields of Justice along with my love. Many times, I wanted to end it all. In fact, I had even planned to do the deed tonight. I didn't want to come here and receive an award for what I feel is my greatest failure. But that lovely woman, that one right there," his finger lifted to point me out of the crowd, causing the spot light to once more focus on me and causing me to blush, "she brought me here tonight. I tried...oh I tried very hard to avoid coming here. On the way, we've jumped trains, fallen into dug out pits, and stared down an angry minotaur."

I could feel warm tears falling from me with a soft plop on to the back of my hands. Jericho tugged a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to me, which I used to wipe the now running mascara from my eyes.

"Even when I discovered I'd have to give a speech, which I was not at all prepared for, she never stopped being there. If not for this woman, I would not be alive today. If not for this woman, Magnus would still be out there and he would still be controlling our friends and loved ones. Ladies and gentlemen, I thought my heart died the day that Ahri was ripped from my arms, but I was wrong. It was wounded, certainly on the verge of death. Thanks to Kat, I umm…" He cleared his throat and loosened his tie slightly, "thanks to Kat, I'm able to move past my failures. So Katarina Du Couteau, thank you so very much for always being there for me. I'm sorry if it ever felt like you weren't appreciated. And I'm sorry it took me this long to realize just how important you are to me. So this award, isn't just mine, this award is both of ours and I know you'll refuse, just because that's the person you are, but...too bad, it's yours anyway. Thank you everyone. Good night."

I laughed quietly through my tears as he stepped off of the stage while applause ruptured through the crowd. As he came to sit down next to me, I just looked at him, unsure of what to say, and I told him such.

"You don't have to say anything," he whispered to me, taking my hand in his.

So, we sat there in silence, our fingers intertwined as the other speeches came and went. I didn't listen to a single one of them. All of my focus was on the wonderful man who sat beside me.

When at last, the final recipient left the stage, the tables were cleared and everyone began to filter out of the ball room. As they passed Kal and I, we both received supportive pats on the shoulder or complimentary assurances, until soon there was only one person left.

As Swain reached the two of us, he bowed his head slightly. "Excellent speech, summoner. I was most enthralled."

"Thank you, sir." He replied, bowing his own in return. "It means alot to receive a compliment from someone such as yourself."

"And I do not give them out readily," he chuckled. "I wished to discuss a rumor that has been drifting on the wind. I've heard tell that you intend to leave the League for good, is that so?" My eyes turned to Kal, waiting expectantly for his response.

His eyes in turn met mine, and again I felt myself blushing, despite my wish that I would not. "And abandon my Champion to some other random creep? Not a chance. Don't worry sir, I'm not leaving Noxus' service just yet. However, I do intend to make quite a few changes around here. As much as Noxus abhors, it a little increase in reputation could do a lot of good."

"Glad to hear it, summoner," he rasped, patting his shoulder as he limped past. "I fear that I'm rather tired from tonight's events. I hope the two of you have a great rest of the evening."

As the double doors shut behind Swain leaving us alone, I turned towards him before leaping on him with an excited squeal and hugging him tightly. "I'm so proud of you! You were wonderful up there, and all those things you said, I can't...just...I can't even."

He smiled, returning my embrace before looking back at the polished wood floor with a grin. "Lady Du Couteau," he purred in a sophisticated voice, "would you do me the honor of inviting you to dance?"

Giggling like a little girl, I nodded, giving him my hand. "I will."

And so, he led me out there, pulling me after him, until we stood in the center of the room. He and I stared deep into one another's eyes as his arms moved to my waist. My own instinctively draped around his neck as the two of us began to move to a music that only we could really hear.

As we drifted slowly, here and there, I leaned closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He drew me even closer, our movements fading into nothing but a gentle sway as we held on to one another. "This is nice," I whispered.

"Yeah," he agreed, his warm breath on my neck.

"Don't think that means I've forgotten about your suicide comment. You and I are going to have seriously stern words once your charm wears off."

He smiled softly. "I've already killed myself. You don't have to worry about it happening again."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...I killed my old self. I'm done with being sad. No more blackouts, no more suicide attempts."

" _Attempts?_ "

"The second story balcony is not as sturdy as I thought it would be." He teased

"That's not funny, Kal." I quipped, causing him to chuckle.

"I suppose you're right. Sorry. But seriously, I threw away the poison when we were in the pit. That's the real reason I wanted you to close your eyes."

Despite the troubling confession, a smile spread across my lips. I didn't care as much as I thought I would that he had considered doing it. I cared more that he was safe and unharmed. "You are a trickster. I guess our souls really are alike."

"Hey, Kat?"

"Yes, Kal?"

He just grinned. "I need you to close your eyes again."

"Gods Kal, how many vials of poison did you think you'd need?"

"Just shut up and do it."

I sighed, shutting my eyes tightly and sending my world into darkness. After a few moments of nothing, I felt some soft and damp press against my lips. Opening my eyes I found that it was his own. I closed my eyes once more, pressing against him as we shared a deep and intimate kiss.

I'd been wanting this for a long time. Somehow, I didn't feel guilty for that anymore. This felt so natural and right, that I wanted to keep on doing this forever. I sucked softly on his bottom lip as he pulled my body against his, our movements stopping all together.

I felt his hands running down my back before he gave my ass a squeeze, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. Our lips falling apart, I gave him a playful glare. "Way to ruin the mood, jerk."

"Don't be silly, the mood hasn't changed one bit. I'm still here and you're still here. As far as I'm concerned that means that I'm happy." He playfully rubbed my nose with his own. "I love you, Kat."

My heart jumped into my throat as I tried to form a response. _Come on Kat,_ I lectured myself, _you've been waiting for this for a long time. Say it! But don't just blurt it, think of a cool way to slip it in._ "Oh, that's nice of you to say." His expression sank, causing me to panic even more.

"I see," he sighed, his hands starting to fall from my waist.

 _No, no, no, no!_ Without another thought, I pounced on him, causing him to catch me before stumbling and falling to the ground with a heavy thud. Sitting on his chest, I refused to let him budge an inch as I shut my eyes tightly. "I love you, too!" I shouted, a tad bit louder than I intended. "In fact," I continued, falling a bit quieter, "I think I've loved you for a while now. But with Ahri, it just seemed like it was a bad time and I felt so awful about it too, Kal. You've no idea how many nights I stayed up feeling like a monster for having these feelings for you." Now that all of the words were coming out, I couldn't stop myself. "I love you so much, Kal. Every time I saw you, drunk and slurring, I knew it wasn't the real you. I missed the real you, Kal and tonight for the first time in a long time, I saw him, and I realized I loved him. Please, please, please say that you love me, too. Tell me that you want this just as much as I do."

He placed a finger to my lips before leaning up to place a kiss on my throat, drawing out an uncontrollable purr that made me even more flustered. "Hey," he whispered in my ear, "don't forget I said 'I love you' first. I'll admit, for a long time, I've felt a similar way. But I was scared. It hurt so much when I lost Ahri, and even alcohol wasn't enough to numb it. I couldn't help but think, what if I lost you too?"

"You're not going to lose me," I tried to assure him, even though in truth I couldn't have any idea.

"I know. Not in the same way I lost Ahri, at least. I saw what you did for me off to the side there. You sent Warwick packing, didn't you?"

I nodded.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. I...I realized then that you were right. Ahri would want me to move on and be happy. Besides, I'm sure she's just glad that I didn't end up falling for Lux."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose so. Though, I don't know. Your ex-sworn enemy, probably not a great first-pick either."

"It's okay. I think I've got you trained pretty well."

"Oh, you've trained me have you?" I teased, leaning down to grab him by his jacket and pull him towards me. "Did you train me to do this?" I pulled him to me in another loving kiss as we sat there on the floor.

As we parted once more, he was beaming like an idiot. "So this means you're a part of the harem now, right?"

"Shut up, jerk."

He smiled, lifting me in his arms and getting to his feet. The lights began to click off above us as the two of us exited the Institute. Setting me back down, the two of us began to walk back towards the train station, though they'd ceased to run at this hour.

"So...teleportation spell?" I asked.

He looked up at the night sky for a moment before shaking his head. "No, the full moon's out tonight. I don't know about you, Lady Du Couteau, but I am a sucker for moonlit walks."

"You're so cheesy," I teased, but I still took his hand in mine and began walking with him along the tracks back towards Noxus. "So, what made you change your mind about being a Summoner? I already told you I'd quit with you."

"I was just thinking that Noxus needs a few changes, right? If another Ionian conflict comes up, I could totally sabotage Noxus from the inside. Sure I'll get a little reprimand from the Tribunal, but at least Ionia would be safe."

"Mmhm, and what pray tell will happen to me during your 'sabotage'."

"Well, obviously you'll be killed over and over again. Usually in a brutal and violent way." He nuzzled against me and I against him as we continued to walk along the side of the rails.

"Oh, you really like to push my buttons, don't you."

"It's like the Institute all over again," he laughed, causing me to squeeze his hand tightly. His laughter stopped as he turned to look towards me. "Kat, you know I'm just messing with you, don't you? I wouldn't ever do that to you...on purpose."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I mean, what if I get distracted by the pretty Summoner across from me? Maybe she and I start a game of footsie and it gets a little out of hand and I accidently drop my orb. Then, what?"

I sighed. "Oh Kal, whatever am I going to do with you?"

"That," he purred, "is entirely up to you. I've got to warn you though, I may not be very great. I have had a pretty long dry spell after all."

"Lux and Ahri must have liked you for some reason, because it sure isn't your looks."

"Oh-ho! All hail Kat, queen of the burns! That was a good one, I think I actually felt pieces of my self-esteem chipping away."

I stopped him again, pressing him up against a tree. "Shut up and kiss me, you fool," I purred before the two of us were once more locked in each other's embrace. That night, under the stars, for the first of many, _many_ times the two of us made love.

When we finally did manage to make it back home, the sun was already starting to rise over the horizon. Giggling and shushing each other like teenagers sneaking in after a night of debauchery, the two of us slipped into the grand foyer, going towards the stairs before someone cleared their throat behind us.

Turning back to see Talon, his arms crossed, he had a sour but perplexed look on his face. "I know the walk of shame when I see it, but both of you? Really? I'm surprised at you Lady Du Couteau. Your father has raised you better. And you, Kal? I thought you were still in mourning."

I went to explain, but Kal cut me off. "Yeah, we both met someone at the party last night. My girl was a certifiable freak, but her body," he clicked his tongue, "perfect ten out of ten." Catching on, I tried to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, mine was okay. A little boring. He didn't last very long."

"Really?" Kal squeaked, before clearing his throat. "I mean, that's so surprising. He looked like the sort of guy who would be really good at that sort of thing."

"I guess it just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by the size of its dick...I mean by its cover. Like seriously, he just laid there like a plank of wood."

"Well, I mean he was pretty tired. I heard that some crazy bitch dragged him through the jungle to the party because she bought the wrong tickets."

"I'm sorry, _she_ bought the wrong tickets? Because from what I heard, _he_ was the one who bought the wrong tickets."

"Yeah, well at least he didn't fall into a pit."

"Well at least she didn't cry in front of a crowd."

"Bullshit! She totally did! I saw how she teared up when he gave his speech."

"She just had something in her eye!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Yeah well, at least he didn't make weird noises when he was having sex."

"Well, at least she was able to get herself off, because he sure couldn't."

"So help me, Kat I will drag you upstairs and throw you down before…" he paused remembering that Talon was standing right there, still looking utterly lost, "having a well organized debate, with facts and flow charts. I've even got a slide show."

My smile widened across my face. "Oh really? How long is this slide show?" I asked, as he took me into his arms.

He simply shrugged, tilting me backwards to kiss my throat as I gave a mix between a purr and a giggle. "As long as you want it to be, baby."

"And, I'm officially done asking questions," Talon sighed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. The two of us just laughed as he closed the door to his room behind him before we kissed each other again.

Just as our lips parted, we heard the excited patter of feet as Annie came bounding down the stairs. "Daddy, you're back!" She leapt at Kal, who surprisingly managed to catch her without falling down the stairs.

"Hey, kiddo. Yeah, I'm back."

"Can I see it? Can I see it?"

Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the medal, handing it to her for inspection before she looked at it closely and frowned. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Why is there lipgloss on the medal?"

The two of us both turned a bright red, looking away from one another as Kal tried to whistle inconspicuously. Annie gasped. "Daddy! You and Aunt Kat were kissing?!"

"Way to go Kal."

"Hey," he laughed, "I told you I can't whistle."

"Daddy and Aunt Kat sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Aunt Kat with a baby carriage."

Kal set Annie down and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Really funny, Annie. But Kat and I have been awake for a long time, so we're going to take a nap, okay? Will you behave yourself for a few hours?"

"Of course, duh! I'm always a good girl," she giggled swaying back and forth playfully. "Good night Aunt Kat, Good night daddy!"

"Thank you, Annie," I replied, taking Kal's hand in mine and walking with him up the stairs. Once we were out of earshot of Annie, I turned towards him. "Man, that song's embarrassing no matter how old you get, isn't it?"

He grinned at me. "Yeah, I suppose so." He paused just outside of my room, his cheeks still a bright red. "So, Kat...does this mean...you know...that you and I…?"

As I watched him stammer awkwardly around the question, I opened up the door with my hip before stepping inside and unzipping the back of my dress. "That, depends entirely on how long your slideshow is."

His loving gaze trapped in mine, he stepped inside, flipped off the lights, and closed the door behind him.


	3. Update

**AN: Hey everyone! So I didn't manage to get 12 reviews on my book, but no need to fret. All of the messages of support that I've received from you have been a huge help to me, even overpowering some of the more...colorful...ones. Even just buying my book really gives me a leg up. Thank you so much to those of you who donated to my Patron or to pay pal. I will continue uploading over time, and while it will still be slow, rest assured that I am grateful to have you all behind me. My book is still on Amazon if you'd like to get a copy. I know that's difficult for a lot of you, being young and not having any way to really order anything online. Special thanks to Waddlebuff, Jonathan Boterf, and Austin Nadworny for your generous contributions. They truly mean more to me than I can hope to describe. I hope you continue to enjoy my work. I will strive to keep everyone updated on my situation as I go. And to the one guy who keeps sending me insulting messages and telling me to kill my self...Thank you for reading my stories :) Your support is greatly appreciated. I wish everyone the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba**


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